While Chennai's music festival showcased plenty of promising talent, it has been a challenge to draw young audiences, N. Murali, Senior Managing Director, Kasturi & Sons Ltd., said here on Sunday.

One way to draw youngsters to listen to Carnatic music is to ensure that “music percolates over a larger base” by taking it to schools, he said.

Speaking at the inauguration of Chennai Fine Arts' annual music festival, he said it was unique as the organisation focused on thematic programmes and lecture demonstrations and held concerts which included rare instruments.Saturation of music

The city's music festival season that now extended up to mid-January resulted in a saturation of music, “something that is necessary in this strife-torn, unappetising, unhealthy world.

“This season ushers in peace, harmony and is soul-satisfying,” Mr. Murali said.

Managing Director of City Union Bank S. Balasubramaniam, who presented the Gottuvadhyam Narayana Iyengar Award for Excellence to violin exponent V.S. Narasimhan, said Carnatic music scored over all other genres.

Mr. Narasimhan was honoured with a shawl, plaque and Rs.25,000.

Even those who won prizes in various music contests held by television channels had a good grounding in Carnatic music, Mr. Balasubramaniam said. Programmes that honour Carnatic ‘vidwans' are an encouragement to youngsters, he said, adding that with good musicians shifting base to Chennai, small towns such as Thanjavur, once famed for its musicians, now did not have trained teachers.